Theos-Talk Archives (September 1998 Message tt00281)

Dallas, thank you for your comments on A MODERN PANARION.

But I am somewhat puzzled by your comments when you write:

> Reprint in facsimile the book as originally published in 1895. . . >.This method was chosen.  No question ,but an explanation or a warning >to readers, could have been included in a "publisher's preface."  And >if ever this is reprinted I would urge the T. Co. to make such an >observation.

But why would you (or the Theosophy Company) want to ever reprint this
volume again?  Even if you included a "publisher's preface", the book
has hundreds of "corrections" plus deletions.  And all of this was
probably done by Mr. Mead.  IMO, to reprint this 1895 volume goes
against what you have previously stated as YOUR OWN standards in regards
to HPB's writings.  And I believe it would go against the standards of
the Theosophy Company.  AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE??

For interested Blavatsky students, the articles from HPB's pen reprinted
in A MODERN PANARION can also be found in Boris de Zirkoff's COLLECTED
WRITINGS.  And BdZ's transcription is much better than what is found in
A MODERN PANARION.

Just one example to illustrate my last statement.  In MP, on pp. 38-46,
you find an article entitled "Occultism or Magic."  In THE COLLECTED
WRITINGS, Vol. I, pp. 101-119, you find this same article but with the
original title: "A Few Questions to 'HIRAF".  The MP version is
incomplete.  The last 12 long paragraphs of the article is missing in
MP.  See COLLECTED WRITINGS, Vol. I for comparison.  I have verified
this by looking at my microfilm copy of the original article published
in the Boston SPIRITUAL SCIENTIST.

Pages 1-190 in MP reprint HPB's articles in America, 1874-1878.  I would
recommend Vol. I of THE COLLECTED WRITINGS which includes all these
articles plus more not included in MP.  Plus Boris has added HPB's notes
appended to these articles in her scrapbooks.  Plus there are many other
benefits to this Volume I.

Maybe the Theosophy Company should consider reprinting the 4 volumes of
the COMPLETE WORKS of HPB published in the 1930s.

Or better yet. . . . [but I will save this last idea for another post.]

Daniel H. Caldwell



W. Dallas TenBroeck wrote:
>
> Sept 14th 1998
>
> Dear Daniel:
>
> Thanks for sending as an attachment your comments on A MODERN PANARION,
> which I read for the first time.
>
> Dilemma:
>
> There are some valuable articles in the book which are not included in the 3
> Vol. series of HPB Articles that T. Co. published.
>
> Question:
>
> Go back to the original articles, which on proof reading, prove to be
> different in content from the "edited" reprints included in the 1895 edition
> (after HPB's death); and no doubt, possibly edited by one or several
> persons -- thus producing the differences you note.  And that would make
> such a production untrue to the book, though true to the originals if no
> "printer's devil" intervenes in doing a "verbatim.".
>
> OR
>
> Reprint in facsimile the book as originally published in 1895 ?  This method
> was chosen.
>
> No question ,but an explanation or a warning to readers, could have been
> included in a "publisher's preface."  And if ever this is reprinted I would
> urge the T. Co. to make such an observation.
>
> Thanks again for your efforts and help in getting this settled.
>
> Best wishes as always,
>
> Dallas
>
> From: "Daniel H Caldwell" <blafoun@azstarnet.com>
> Date: Wednesday, September 23, 1998 2:05 PM
> Subject: MODERN PANARION reprinted by the Theosophy Company
>
> >Two Theos-Talk subsribers have just emailed me wondering what I had
> >written about A MODERN PANARION.  I thought I had posted this on
> >Theos-Talk several days ago.  I post it again below for those interested
> >who may not have seen the original post.  My computer is acting up so
> >forgive me if I have sent 2 copies of this instead of one.
> >
> >Daniel Caldwell